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Jiang X, Mao J, Sun Z, Alahuhta J, Heino J, He D. Disentangling the effects of geographic distance, environment and history on beta diversity of freshwater fish at a biogeographical crossroads. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2024; 355:120490. [PMID: 38457897 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.120490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2023] [Revised: 02/20/2024] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 03/10/2024]
Abstract
Examining assemblage turnover and variation along geographic and environmental distances is a useful approach to evaluate beta diversity patterns and associated driving mechanisms. However, such studies are relatively limited in freshwater systems. Here, we compared the relationships between freshwater fish beta diversity and geographic distances among 165 hydrological units (HUs) in four zoogeographical regions (PA, Palearctic Region; CA, High Central Asia; EA, East Asia, SA, South Asia) across China and adjacent areas. This area can be considered a biogeographical crossroads, where faunal composition shares elements with different biogeographic and evolutionary origins. We found a considerably high level of between-HU overall dissimilarity (βsor, range from ca. 0.60 to 0.85) in all four regions, mainly due to the turnover component (the relative contribution of βsim to βsor ranged from 60% to 90%). In general, βsor and βsim both significantly increased with geographic distance (except in PA), whereas the nestedness-resultant component (βsne) decreased with geographic distance. The intercepts and slopes of the relationships between dissimilarities and distance (RDDs) both varied significantly among the four regions. The intercepts of βsor and βsim were both highest in SA, followed by CA, PA and EA, implying different levels of fish faunal heterogeneity at short distances. In contrast, the slopes of these two dissimilarities followed the decreasing trend from EA > CA > SA > PA, suggesting different environmental suitability and dispersal ability of fish species among regions. Variation partitioning in distance-based redundancy analysis showed that the spatial and historical factors were more important than area-heterogeneity and energy factors across all HUs and within three individual ecoregions (EA, SA and CA), but spatial factors were non-significant in PA. Our study highlighted the usefulness of RDDs in understanding biogeographical patterns and enhancing the biodiversity conservation of freshwater fishes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoming Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Eco-hydraulic in Northwest Arid Region of China, Xi'an University of Technology, Xi'an, 710048, Shaanxi, China; Geography Research Unit, University of Oulu, P. O. Box 8000, FI-90014, Oulu, Finland
| | - Jiaping Mao
- State Key Laboratory of Eco-hydraulic in Northwest Arid Region of China, Xi'an University of Technology, Xi'an, 710048, Shaanxi, China
| | - Zhiwei Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Eco-hydraulic in Northwest Arid Region of China, Xi'an University of Technology, Xi'an, 710048, Shaanxi, China
| | - Janne Alahuhta
- Geography Research Unit, University of Oulu, P. O. Box 8000, FI-90014, Oulu, Finland
| | - Jani Heino
- Geography Research Unit, University of Oulu, P. O. Box 8000, FI-90014, Oulu, Finland
| | - Dekui He
- Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
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2
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Chen G, Gu X, Mo Y, Cui B. Monospecific mangrove reforestation changes relationship between benthic mollusc diversity and biomass: Implication for coastal wetland management. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2024; 353:120140. [PMID: 38290263 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.120140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2023] [Revised: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
Anthropogenic causes are overtaking natural factors to reshape patterns of biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. Mangrove reforestation aimed at reversing losses of mangroves has been conducted worldwide for several decades. However, how reforestation influences the link between ecological processes that shape community diversity and the consequent effects on ecosystem functions such as biomass production is less well known. Here we used data collected before and after mangrove planting to examine the effects of reforestation on molluscan species richness and biomass production by testing the changes in species richness, compositional similarities, distance-decay effects (community similarity decreases with increasing geographical distance) in metacommunity across a regional scale of 480 km (23-27 °N) in southeast Chinese coasts. Additionally, we further detected the impact of landscape configuration caused by different intensities of reforestation on the mollusc community. After the mangrove reforestation, mollusc species richness and biomass increased significantly. The increases in species richness and biomass of mollusc community were mediated by reducing distance-decay effect, indicating an increase in relationship strength between species richness and biomass might be associated with a decrease in distance-decay effect with rising mangrove habitat. We highlight the importance of considering the effects of anthropogenic changes on the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. Quantifying the distance-decay effect of these influences enables management decisions about coastal restoration to be based upon ecological mechanisms rather than wishful thinking or superficial appearance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guogui Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Water Environmental Simulation, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China; Research and Development Center for Watershed Environmental Eco-Engineering, Advanced Institute of Natural Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Zhuhai, China
| | - Xuan Gu
- Key Laboratory of the Coastal and Wetland Ecosystems (Xiamen University) Ministry of Education, College of the Environment & Ecology, Xiamen University, CN-361102, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Yuanyuan Mo
- Aquatic EcoHealth Group, Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health, Fujian Key Laboratory of Watershed Ecology, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen, 361021, China; Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health, Ningbo Urban Environment Observation and Research Station, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen, 361021, China; Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Urban Environmental Processes and Pollution Control, CAS Haixi Industrial Technology Innovation Center in Beilun, Ningbo, 315830, China.
| | - Baoshan Cui
- State Key Laboratory of Water Environmental Simulation, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China; Research and Development Center for Watershed Environmental Eco-Engineering, Advanced Institute of Natural Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Zhuhai, China.
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3
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Basham EW, Baecher JA, Klinges DH, Scheffers BR. Vertical stratification patterns of tropical forest vertebrates: a meta-analysis. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2023; 98:99-114. [PMID: 36073113 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2021] [Revised: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Tropical forests harbour the highest levels of terrestrial biodiversity and represent some of the most complex ecosystems on Earth, with a significant portion of this diversity above ground. Although the vertical dimension is a central aspect of the ecology of forest communities, there is little consensus as to prominence, evenness, and consistency of community-level stratification from ground to canopy. Here, we gather the results of 62 studies across the tropics to synthesise and assess broad patterns of vertical stratification of abundance and richness in vertebrates, the best studied taxonomic group for which results have not been collated previously. Our review of the literature yielded sufficient data for bats, small mammals, birds and amphibians. We show that variation in the stratification of abundance and richness exists within and among all taxa considered. Bat richness stratification was variable among studies, although bat abundance was weighted towards the canopy. Both bird richness and abundance stratification were variable, with no overriding pattern. On the contrary, both amphibians and small mammals showed consistent patterns of decline in abundance and richness towards the canopy. We descriptively characterise research trends in drivers of stratification cited or investigated within studies, finding local habitat structure and food distribution/foraging to be the most commonly attributed drivers. Further, we analyse the influence of macroecological variables on stratification patterns, finding latitude and elevation to be key predictors of bird stratification in particular. Prominent differences among taxa are likely due to taxon-specific interactions with local drivers such as vertical habitat structure, food distribution, and vertical climate gradients, which may vary considerably across macroecological gradients such as elevation and biogeographic realm. Our study showcases the complexity with which animal communities organise within tropical forest ecosystems, while demonstrating the canopy as a critical niche space for tropical vertebrates, thereby highlighting the inherent vulnerability of tropical vertebrate communities to forest loss and canopy disturbance. We recognise that analyses were constrained due to variation in study designs and methods which produced a variety of abundance and richness metrics recorded across different arrangements of vertical strata. We therefore suggest the application of best practices for data reporting and highlight the significant effort required to fill research gaps in terms of under-sampled regions, taxa, and environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edmund W Basham
- School of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Florida, 103 Black Hall, PO Box 116455, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - J Alex Baecher
- School of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Florida, 103 Black Hall, PO Box 116455, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - David H Klinges
- School of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Florida, 103 Black Hall, PO Box 116455, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - Brett R Scheffers
- School of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Florida, 103 Black Hall, PO Box 116455, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA.,Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, 110 Newins-Ziegler Hall, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
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4
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Habitat fragmentation rather than habitat amount or habitat split reduces the diversity and abundance of ground-dwelling anurans within forest remnants of the Brazilian Cerrado. J Nat Conserv 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jnc.2022.126259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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5
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Xing S, Hood ASC, Dial RJ, Fayle TM. Species turnover in ant assemblages is greater horizontally than vertically in the world's tallest tropical forest. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9158. [PMID: 35919394 PMCID: PMC9336171 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2021] [Revised: 07/02/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Abiotic and biotic factors structure species assembly in ecosystems both horizontally and vertically. However, the way community composition changes along comparable horizontal and vertical distances in complex three‐dimensional habitats, and the factors driving these patterns, remains poorly understood. By sampling ant assemblages at comparable vertical and horizontal spatial scales in a tropical rainforest, we tested hypotheses that predicted differences in vertical and horizontal turnover explained by different drivers in vertical and horizontal space. These drivers included environmental filtering, such as microclimate (temperature, humidity, and photosynthetic photon flux density) and microhabitat connectivity (leaf area), which are structured differently across vertical and horizontal space. We found that both ant abundance and richness decreased significantly with increasing vertical height. Although the dissimilarity between ant assemblages increased with vertical distance, indicating a clear distance‐decay pattern, the dissimilarity was higher horizontally where it appeared independent of distance. The pronounced horizontal and vertical structuring of ant assemblages across short distances is likely explained by a combination of microclimate and microhabitat connectivity. Our results demonstrate the importance of considering three‐dimensional spatial variation in local assemblages and reveal how highly diverse communities can be supported by complex habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuang Xing
- School of Ecology Sun Yat‐Sen University Guangzhou P. R. China
- Biology Centre of Czech Academy of Sciences Institute of Entomology Ceske Budejovice Czech Republic
| | - Amelia S. C. Hood
- Department of Zoology University of Cambridge Cambridge UK
- Centre for Agri‐Environmental Research, School of Agriculture, Policy and Development University of Reading Reading UK
| | - Roman J. Dial
- Institute of Culture and Environment Alaska Pacific University Anchorage Alaska USA
| | - Tom M. Fayle
- Biology Centre of Czech Academy of Sciences Institute of Entomology Ceske Budejovice Czech Republic
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences Queen Mary University of London London UK
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6
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Large, old trees define the vertical, horizontal, and seasonal distributions of a poison frog. Oecologia 2022; 199:257-269. [PMID: 35112173 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-022-05108-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2020] [Accepted: 12/29/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
In tropical forests, large, old trees (LOTs) can be considered keystone structures for provisioning unique habitats such as decaying wood, roots, cavities, and epiphytes, including those that hold water (phytotelmata). These habitats may also be stratified in vertical space, for example, root structures occur at ground level and below, whereas epiphytes occur above-ground. Canopy habitat is utilized by a diversity of amphibians, but canopy habitat may only be viable in the wet season when epiphytes and surfaces are sufficiently saturated. Here, we examine how the provisioning of microhabitats and structures by LOTs influence the horizontal, vertical, and seasonal distribution patterns of phytotelmata-breeding poison frogs. We conducted ground-to-canopy surveys over 4 years, constituting 6 seasons, in Panama and used mark-recapture techniques on a population of the yellow-bellied poison frog, Andinobates fulguritus. We found that A. fulguritus migrated vertically, tracking seasonal rainfall, and displayed strong philopatry to individual trees. Furthermore, A. fulguritus almost exclusively inhabited the largest trees at the study location, which provided disproportionately high-quality microhabitats and epiphytes compared to other trees. LOTs, and specifically Anacardium excelsum at our site, appear to serve as keystone structures with high conservation value due to their provisioning of unique habitats. We conclude that the distribution of A. fulguritus is defined vertically by the stratification of arboreal microhabitat resources, horizontally by the presence of LOTs providing the resources, and temporally by the seasonal viability of the resources.
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7
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Leponce M, Corbara B, Delabie JH, Orivel J, Aberlenc HP, Bail J, Barrios H, Campos RI, do Nascimento IC, Compin A, Didham RK, Floren A, Medianero E, Ribeiro SP, Roisin Y, Schmidl J, Tishechkin AK, Winchester NN, Basset Y, Dejean A. Spatial and functional structure of an entire ant assemblage in a lowland Panamanian rainforest. Basic Appl Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2021.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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8
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De Frenne P, Lenoir J, Luoto M, Scheffers BR, Zellweger F, Aalto J, Ashcroft MB, Christiansen DM, Decocq G, De Pauw K, Govaert S, Greiser C, Gril E, Hampe A, Jucker T, Klinges DH, Koelemeijer IA, Lembrechts JJ, Marrec R, Meeussen C, Ogée J, Tyystjärvi V, Vangansbeke P, Hylander K. Forest microclimates and climate change: Importance, drivers and future research agenda. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2021; 27:2279-2297. [PMID: 33725415 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 127] [Impact Index Per Article: 42.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2020] [Revised: 02/05/2021] [Accepted: 02/14/2021] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Forest microclimates contrast strongly with the climate outside forests. To fully understand and better predict how forests' biodiversity and functions relate to climate and climate change, microclimates need to be integrated into ecological research. Despite the potentially broad impact of microclimates on the response of forest ecosystems to global change, our understanding of how microclimates within and below tree canopies modulate biotic responses to global change at the species, community and ecosystem level is still limited. Here, we review how spatial and temporal variation in forest microclimates result from an interplay of forest features, local water balance, topography and landscape composition. We first stress and exemplify the importance of considering forest microclimates to understand variation in biodiversity and ecosystem functions across forest landscapes. Next, we explain how macroclimate warming (of the free atmosphere) can affect microclimates, and vice versa, via interactions with land-use changes across different biomes. Finally, we perform a priority ranking of future research avenues at the interface of microclimate ecology and global change biology, with a specific focus on three key themes: (1) disentangling the abiotic and biotic drivers and feedbacks of forest microclimates; (2) global and regional mapping and predictions of forest microclimates; and (3) the impacts of microclimate on forest biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in the face of climate change. The availability of microclimatic data will significantly increase in the coming decades, characterizing climate variability at unprecedented spatial and temporal scales relevant to biological processes in forests. This will revolutionize our understanding of the dynamics, drivers and implications of forest microclimates on biodiversity and ecological functions, and the impacts of global changes. In order to support the sustainable use of forests and to secure their biodiversity and ecosystem services for future generations, microclimates cannot be ignored.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jonathan Lenoir
- UMR 7058 CNRS "Ecologie et Dynamique des Systèmes Anthropisés" (EDYSAN), Université de Picardie Jules Verne, Amiens, France
| | - Miska Luoto
- Department of Geosciences and Geography, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Brett R Scheffers
- Wildlife Ecology & Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | | | - Juha Aalto
- Department of Geosciences and Geography, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Weather and Climate Change Impact Research, Finnish Meteorological Institute, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Michael B Ashcroft
- Centre for Sustainable Ecosystem Solutions, School of Earth, Atmospheric and Life Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - Ditte M Christiansen
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, and Bolin Centre for Climate Research, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Guillaume Decocq
- UMR 7058 CNRS "Ecologie et Dynamique des Systèmes Anthropisés" (EDYSAN), Université de Picardie Jules Verne, Amiens, France
| | - Karen De Pauw
- Forest & Nature Lab, Ghent University, Gontrode, Belgium
| | - Sanne Govaert
- Forest & Nature Lab, Ghent University, Gontrode, Belgium
| | - Caroline Greiser
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, and Bolin Centre for Climate Research, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Eva Gril
- UMR 7058 CNRS "Ecologie et Dynamique des Systèmes Anthropisés" (EDYSAN), Université de Picardie Jules Verne, Amiens, France
| | - Arndt Hampe
- INRAE, Univ. Bordeaux, BIOGECO, Cestas, France
| | - Tommaso Jucker
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - David H Klinges
- School of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Irena A Koelemeijer
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, and Bolin Centre for Climate Research, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - Ronan Marrec
- UMR 7058 CNRS "Ecologie et Dynamique des Systèmes Anthropisés" (EDYSAN), Université de Picardie Jules Verne, Amiens, France
| | | | - Jérôme Ogée
- INRAE, Bordeaux Science Agro, ISPA, Villenave d'Ornon, France
| | - Vilna Tyystjärvi
- Department of Geosciences and Geography, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Weather and Climate Change Impact Research, Finnish Meteorological Institute, Helsinki, Finland
| | | | - Kristoffer Hylander
- Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, and Bolin Centre for Climate Research, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
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9
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Aguilar-Cruz Y, Ángeles Arenas-Cruz MDL, Ochoa-Ochoa LM, Zotz G. Bromeliad Sampling: A Passive Technique for Arboreal Amphibians across Ecosystems in the Neotropics. ICHTHYOLOGY & HERPETOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1643/h2019277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yonatan Aguilar-Cruz
- Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Institut für Biologie und Umweltwissenschaften, AG Funktionelle Ökologie der Pflanzen, Postfach 2503, 26111 Oldenburg, Germany; (YAC) ; and (GZ) . Send rep
| | | | - Leticia M. Ochoa-Ochoa
- Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, Coyoacán, Mexico City, 04510, México;
| | - Gerhard Zotz
- Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Institut für Biologie und Umweltwissenschaften, AG Funktionelle Ökologie der Pflanzen, Postfach 2503, 26111 Oldenburg, Germany; (YAC) ; and (GZ) . Send rep
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10
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Neves FS, Antoniazzi R, Camarota F, Pacelhe FT, Powell S. Spatiotemporal dynamics of the ant community in a dry forest differ by vertical strata but not by successional stage. Biotropica 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.12918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Frederico S. Neves
- Departamento de Genética Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais Belo Horizonte Brazil
- Programa de Pós‐Graduação em Ecologia Conservação e Manejo da Vida Silvestre Instituto de Ciências Biológicas Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais Brazil
| | - Reuber Antoniazzi
- Red de Ecoetología Instituto de Ecología A.C. Xalapa, Veracruz Mexico
| | - Flávio Camarota
- Departamento de Biologia Geral Universidade Federal de Viçosa Viçosa, Minas Gerais Brazil
- Department of Biological Sciences The George Washington University Washington DC USA
| | - Fábio T. Pacelhe
- Programa de Pós‐Graduação em Ecologia Conservação e Manejo da Vida Silvestre Instituto de Ciências Biológicas Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais Brazil
| | - Scott Powell
- Department of Biological Sciences The George Washington University Washington DC USA
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11
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Distance–decay patterns differ between canopy and ground ant assemblages in a tropical rainforest. JOURNAL OF TROPICAL ECOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1017/s0266467420000188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
AbstractBoth decreases in compositional similarity with increasing geographic distances between sites (i.e. distance–decay relationship) and vertical stratification of species composition are key issues in ecology. However, the intersection between these two trends has scarcely been investigated. Here we use identical sampling methods in the canopy and at ground level in a tropical rainforest remnant on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico to evaluate, for the first time, a distance–decay relationship within vertical strata in insect assemblages. We found that the ant assemblage was vertically stratified; ant species richness was higher at ground level than in the canopy, and the species composition differed between the two vertical strata. Moreover, we observed that β-diversity increased with geographic distance at ground level, but not in the canopy strata. However, contrary to our prediction, there was less species turnover (lower β-diversity) between vertical strata than between trees. These findings may reflect differences in the dispersal capacity and nest habit of ants from each vertical stratum, and also habitat heterogeneity on the horizontal scale, e.g. the species of sampled trees. Our results illustrate the importance of sampling more than one vertical stratum to understand the spatial distribution patterns of biological diversity in tropical rainforests.
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12
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Klinges DH, Scheffers BR. Microgeography, Not Just Latitude, Drives Climate Overlap on Mountains from Tropical to Polar Ecosystems. Am Nat 2021; 197:75-92. [PMID: 33417520 DOI: 10.1086/711873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
AbstractAn extension of the climate variability hypothesis is that relatively stable climate, such as that of the tropics, induces distinct thermal bands across elevation that render dispersal over tropical mountains difficult compared with temperate mountains. Yet ecosystems are not thermally static in space-time, especially at small scales, which might render some mountains greater thermal isolators than others. Here we provide an extensive investigation of temperature drivers from fine to coarse scales, and we demonstrate that the degree of similarity in temperatures at high and low elevations on mountains is driven by more than just absolute mountain height and latitude. We compiled a database of 29 mountains spanning six continents to characterize thermal overlap by vertically stratified microhabitats and biomes and owing to seasonal changes in foliage, demonstrating via mixed effects modeling that micro- and mesogeography more strongly influence thermal overlap than macrogeography. Impressively, an increase of 1 m of vertical microhabitat height generates an increase in overlap equivalent to a 5.26° change in latitude. In addition, forested mountains have reduced thermal overlap-149% lower-relative to nonforested mountains. We provide evidence in support of a climate hypothesis that emphasizes microgeography as a determinant of dispersal, demographics, and behavior, thereby refining the classical theory of macroclimate variability as a prominent driver of biogeography.
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13
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Mena S, Kozak KM, Cárdenas RE, Checa MF. Forest stratification shapes allometry and flight morphology of tropical butterflies. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20201071. [PMID: 33081613 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.1071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Studies of altitudinal and latitudinal gradients have identified links between the evolution of insect flight morphology, landscape structure and microclimate. Although lowland tropical rainforests offer steeper shifts in conditions between the canopy and the understorey, this vertical gradient has received far less attention. Butterflies, because of their great phenotypic plasticity, are excellent models to study selection pressures that mould flight morphology. We examined data collected over 5 years on 64 Nymphalidae butterflies in the Ecuadorian Chocó rainforest. We used phylogenetic methods to control for similarity resulting from common ancestry, and explore the relationships between species stratification and flight morphology. We hypothesized that species should show morphological adaptations related to differing micro-environments, associated with canopy and understorey. We found that butterfly species living in each stratum presented significantly different allometric slopes. Furthermore, a preference for the canopy was significantly associated with low wing area to thoracic volume ratios and high wing aspect ratios, but not with the relative distance to the wing centroid, consistent with extended use of fast flapping flight for canopy butterflies and slow gliding for the understorey. Our results suggest that microclimate differences in vertical gradients are a key factor in generating morphological diversity in flying insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastián Mena
- Museo de Zoología QCAZ Invertebrados-Escuela de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador
| | | | - Rafael E Cárdenas
- Museo de Zoología QCAZ Invertebrados-Escuela de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador
| | - María F Checa
- Museo de Zoología QCAZ Invertebrados-Escuela de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador
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14
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Bird's nest fern epiphytes facilitate herpetofaunal arboreality and climate refuge in two paleotropic canopies. Oecologia 2019; 192:297-309. [PMID: 31823001 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-019-04570-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2019] [Accepted: 11/26/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
In tropical forests, epiphytes increase habitat complexity and provision services rare to canopy environments, such as water retention, nutrient cycling, and microclimate refuge. These services facilitate species diversity and coexistence in terrestrial ecosystems, and while their utility in forest ecosystems is appreciated for the Bromeliaceae of the Neotropics, fewer studies have examined the role of Paleotropic epiphytes in ecological niche theory. Here, we compare herpetofaunal presence, abundance, and diversity of in bird's nest fern (Asplenium nidus complex; BNF) to other microhabitats in Madagascar and the Philippines. We measure BNF fern microclimates, examine temporal use of canopy microhabitats, and test models of fern characteristics hypothesized to predict herpetofaunal use. In both countries, one in five BNFs were occupied by herpetofauna, mostly amphibians, and species using BNFs were highly dissimilar from those in other microhabitats. Herpetofaunal presence and abundance were greater in BNFs than in other canopy microhabitats and were most commonly used during the day when fern temperatures were highly buffered. Finally, BNF area was the best predictor of herpetofaunal presence and abundance, compared to canopy cover and BNF height. Importantly, these patterns remained consistent despite the distinct phylogenetic histories of our two communities (Asian versus African). Our results suggests that BNFs and their microclimate services play a critical role in the ecology of two Paleotropic forests, and facilitate the use of canopy habitats by climate-sensitive species. However, future studies are needed to assess the consistency of BNFs' utility as a microclimate refuge across their large range.
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